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☆ As China’s economy hits turbulence, a top Treasury official heads to Hong Kong to deepen ties with Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —A top US Treasury official is heading to Hong Kong as the White House continues its quest to ease tensions with Beijing and avoid a destabilizing crisis. During the trip, Neiman — the highest-ranking Treasury official to visit Hong Kong since 2019 — plans to meet with government officials, private sector economists and executives from the financial and legal sectors. He is also set to meet with US companies that are members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong as well as with students. “Neiman will stress the United States’ focus on securing and advancing our economic and national security interests, along with those of our allies, and protecting human rights,” the Treasury official told CNN. Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous Chinese territory that is also the country’s international financial center.

Persons: Brent Neiman, Neiman, ”, “ Neiman, Ilaria Mazzocco, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Yellen’s, Biden, Raimondo’s, can’t, Mazzocco, Yellen, Raimondo, “, ’, ” Clayton Allen, ” Allen, ” Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Wally Adeyemo, it’s, ” Adeyemo, CNN’s Poppy Harlow, Andrew King Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Treasury, US, Treasury, CNN, American Chamber of Commerce, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Washington, Apple, Huawei, Eurasia Group, Republican, Future Union Locations: New York, Hong Kong, Beijing, China, States, Washington, West, United States, “ China

He'll also visit a Hanoi memorial honoring his late friend and colleague Sen. John McCain, who was held for more than five years as a prisoner during the Vietnam War . Biden met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who also accompanied Biden to a quick drop by at a meeting of business leaders. Biden said the shift demonstrated how far bilateral relations had evolved from the “bitter past” of the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese wanted to make a show of releasing McCain early as his father assumed command over the Pacific. Despite his experience in Vietnam, McCain was a strong advocate of restoring diplomatic relations with the country that had so badly mistreated him.

Persons: Joe Biden, He'll, Sen, John McCain, Biden, Phạm Minh Chính, Võ Văn Thưởng, Biden's, Nguyễn Phú Trong, Trong, Sidney McCain, McCain, McCain’s, ”, “, Democrat Barack Obama, John Kerry, Obama, ” Biden Organizations: U.S, White, Vietnam Airlines, Communist Party of Vietnam, cellmates, Navy, Senate, Republican, Democrat, Democratic, Joint Base Elmendorf Locations: HANOI, Vietnam, Hanoi, U.S, Arizona, Bac Ninh Province, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Asia, Hanoi , North Vietnam, American, Washington, Richardson, Anchorage , Alaska, New York, Washington and Pennsylvania

☆ For Biden, Who Neither Fought in Vietnam Nor Protested War, Trip Offers Opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Peter Baker | More About Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Biden brought John Kerry, another combat veteran-turned-senator who ultimately joined Mr. McCain to normalize relations between Washington and Hanoi in 1995. For Mr. McCain and Mr. Kerry, the bloody battles of Vietnam changed their lives, leaving scar tissue so indelible that it shaped their thinking and careers for decades. While a contemporary of his two veteran friends, Mr. Biden never served in uniform, yet neither did he protest the war along with others of his age. For Mr. Biden, then, agreeing to a new strategic relationship with Vietnam during his trip was more about countering China than about exorcising ghosts of the past. It was apragmatic geopolitical calculation: Vietnam wants more distance from Beijing, and the United States wants more friends in the region.

Persons: Biden, John McCain, John Kerry, McCain, Kerry Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, Washington, China, Beijing, United States

Many people spent a second night in the open after the 6.8 magnitude quake hit late on Friday. Morocco has declared three days of mourning and King Mohammed VI called for prayers for the dead to be held at mosques across the country on Sunday. PULLING SURVIVORS FROM RUBBLEThere were hopes more survivors could be found. Footage captured on Saturday in Moulay Brahim, showed rescuers pulling someone from the rubble. It was Morocco's deadliest earthquake since 1960 when a quake was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Persons: King, Adeeni Mustafa, King Mohammed VI, Caroline Holt, Abdellatif Ait, Saida Bodchich, Moulay Brahim, Ayat, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Jose Joseph, Adam Makary, Omar Abdel, Angus McDowall, Tom Perry, Frances Kerry, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: ., Reuters, Ministry, World Health Organization, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, High, . Geological Survey, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF, Thomson Locations: BRAHIM, Morocco, Marrakech, Moulay, Tansghart, Abdellatif Ait Bella, Turkey, Bengaluru, Razek, Cairo, London

☆ Rescuers Hunt for Survivors of Morocco Quake With Over 2,000 Dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Many people spent a second night in the open after the 6.8 magnitude quake hit late on Friday. The latest Interior Ministry figures put the death toll at 2,012, with 2,059 people injured, including 1,404 in critical condition. Morocco has declared three days of mourning and King Mohammed VI called for prayers for the dead to be held at mosques across the country on Sunday. PULLING SURVIVORS FROM RUBBLEThere were hopes more survivors could be found. Footage captured on Saturday in the town of Moulay Brahim, some 50 km (30 miles) south of Marrakech, showed rescuers pulling someone from the rubble.

Persons: Jihed Abidellaoui, Alexander Cornwell MARRAKECH, King Mohammed VI, Caroline Holt, Abdellatif Ait, Saida Bodchich, Ayat, ”, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Jose Joseph, Adam Makary, Omar Abdel, Tom Perry, Frances Kerry Organizations: ., Ministry, World Health Organization, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, High, Reuters, . Geological Survey, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF Locations: Morocco, Marrakech, Moulay, Tansghart, Abdellatif Ait Bella, Turkey, Bengaluru, Razek, Cairo

☆ Morocco earthquake: Foreign offers of aid arrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Following are some of the offers of aid and support from foreign governments following the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday. A unit from the Spanish Emergency Military Unit (UME) was set to fly to Morocco, Spanish television RTVE reported. FRANCEFrance stands ready to help Morocco but the government there has not yet requested it, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. Separately, the Foreign Ministry said it was activating a fund of local government contributions to support solidarity actions. TAIWANTaiwan’s fire department said on Saturday it had put a team of 120 rescuers on standby to go to Morocco the moment they get instructions from Taiwan’s foreign ministry.

Persons: Jose Manuel Albares, Albares, ISRAEL Israel's Magen David Adom, Magen David Adom, Algeria's, Nawaf Al, Ahmad Al, Jaber, Frances Kerry, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Interior, Catalunya Radio, Moroccan, Spanish Emergency Military Unit, Foreign Ministry, Orange, Crescent, Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, Sunday, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Morocco, TUNISIA Tunisia, SPAIN, Spain, Spanish, FRANCE France, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moroccan, ALGERIA Algeria, TURKEY, AFAD, Turkish, Turkey, KUWAIT, Jaber Al, Sabah, TAIWAN

☆ Spain's soccer chief Luis Rubiales quits in kiss scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Graham Keeley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters reached out to Hermoso's representative for comment on Rubiales' resignation, and they did not return the telephone call. Hermoso, Spain's all-time top scorer with 51 goals, currently plays at Mexican top-tier side Pachuca, where she moved in June 2022 following her second spell at Barcelona. "The feminist country is advancing faster and faster," Spain's acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz posted on X after news of Rubiales' resignation. The Spanish Football Federation said in a statement that Rubiales had resigned as its president and also as a vice-president of UEFA. Although he stepped down as boss of the federation, Rubiales continued to defend his version of events.

Persons: Jennifer Hermoso, Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Hannah, Luis Rubiales, Rubiales, Pedro Rocha, Jenni Hermoso, Hermoso, Yolanda Diaz, Jenni, Irene Montero, Pedro Rocha Junco, FUTPRO, Piers Morgan, Luis, Anita Kobylinska, Tommy Lund, Toby Davis, Frances Kerry, Aislinn Laing Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, England, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Spanish Football Federation, Sydney, High, Rubiales, Spain, UEFA, Twitter, Reuters, Pachuca, Barcelona, Labour, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Sydney, BARCELONA, Spanish, Gdansk

☆ Morocco earthquake damages historic mountain mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Morocco's deadly earthquake badly damaged one of the most important historical sites in the High Atlas mountains, an earth-and-stone mosque built by a medieval dynasty that conquered North Africa and Spain. Moroccan media reported that parts of the Tinmel Mosque had collapsed. Photographs circulating online, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed tumbled walls, a half-fallen tower and large piles of debris. At least 2,000 people have died in the 6.8-magnitude quake, the most destructive in the area since at least 1900. The quake also caused damage to the old city of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where a minaret toppled over and parts of the historic city walls collapsed along with some traditional houses.

Persons: Zakia Abdennebi, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Dominique Vidalon, Angus McDowall, Frances Kerry Organizations: Reuters, Moroccan Culture Ministry, United Nations, UNESCO, High, Thomson Locations: North Africa, Spain, Moroccan, Tinmel, Marrakech, Rabat, Paris

☆ Why a 2024 Trump-Biden rematch might be more of a referendum on Trump than Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Ariel Edwards-Levy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But a potential rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump could upend that dynamic, polling suggests, with most voters saying their decisions would come down largely to their feelings about Trump. In CNN’s exit poll following the last presidential election, when Trump was the sitting incumbent and Biden the challenger, 54% of voters cited Trump as the bigger factor in their vote. Anti-Trump voters – Biden voters who are motivated largely by antipathy for Trump – make up another 30% of the potential electorate. While 89% in this group agree that any Republican would be better than Biden, just 64% say Trump would be better than any Democrat. Nearly 1 in 5 anti-Trump voters say they’d back Haley (18%) or former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (19%) over Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Trump’s, it’s, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, George W, Bush, John Kerry, they’d, –, Roe, Wade, They’re, they’re, Nikki Haley, Haley, Chris Christie, SSRS Organizations: CNN, Biden, Trump, Republican, Voters, GOP, Pro, Trump voters, Democratic, Trump voters – Biden, Trump –, Trump Biden, South Carolina Gov, Republicans Locations: Trump, New Jersey

ATLANTA (AP) — Hurricane Lee is rewriting old rules of meteorology, leaving experts astonished at how rapidly it grew into a goliath Category 5 hurricane. Political Cartoons View All 1148 Images"That extra heat comes back to manifest itself at some point, and one of the ways it does is through stronger hurricanes,” Shepherd said. More intense major hurricanes are also threatening communities farther inland, since the monster storms can grow so powerful that they remain dangerous hurricanes for longer distances over land. It has been 69 years since a major hurricane made landfall in New England, McNoldy said. Margot is far to the east of Lee, but as Margot strengthens it could affect the weather systems in the region that steer hurricanes.

Persons: Hurricane Lee, Lee, ”, Marshall Shepherd, ” Shepherd, “, Shepherd, Kerry Emanuel, Brian McNoldy, Idalia, Hurricane Michael, it’s, McNoldy, Gale, there’s, ” Mike Brennan, ” Brennan, Emanuel, they’re, Margot, it's Organizations: ATLANTA, Hurricanes, University of Georgia’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, American Meteorological Society, D.C, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Miami, Florida Panhandle, Hurricane, U.S ., National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center Locations: Hurricane, Washington, New York, Boston, Florida, Georgia, Valdosta, U.S . East Coast , New Englanders, New England, Maine, Rhode, U.S, Lee, New Harbor , Maine, Louisiana

☆ Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu prince who roiled South African politics, dead at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

South Africa's leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Mangosuthu Buthelezi speaks to supporters ahead of the national elections, in Richards Bay, north of Durban, in South Africa, April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Rogan Ward Acquire Licensing RightsSept 9 (Reuters) - Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, has died, the presidency said on Saturday. South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party described Buthelezi as a "great leader". "Prince Buthelezi was a giant on South Africa's political landscape," DA leader John Steenhuisen said. Critics dubbed Buthelezi a war lord but to his legion of followers in the rural Zulu heartland, he was a visionary.

Persons: Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Rogan Ward, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Prince, KwaPhindangene, Cyril Ramaphosa, Buthelezi, Nelson Mandela, Prince Buthelezi, John Steenhuisen, ANC Buthelezi, Critics, Inkatha, Thabo Mbeki, King Cetshwayo, Henry Kissinger, Peter Carrington, Ashpenaz Nathan Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, Matoli Buthelezi, Princess Constance Magago Dinuzulu, Irene Mzila, Bhargav Acharya, Nelson, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Freedom Party, IFP, REUTERS, South, Home Affairs, African National Congress, Zulu Monarch, ANC, Nelson, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mandela's, Democratic Alliance, Reuters, British, Black University of Fort, ANC Youth League, U.S, Thomson Locations: Richards Bay, Durban, South Africa, KwaZulu, Natal, Zulu, Johannesburg, Black University of Fort Hare, Lesotho, Mahlabathini

☆ Greek rescue teams move into worst-hit flood villages
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Rescue teams took people out of floodwaters in inflatable boats and in bulldozers on Saturday as they moved into villages hit hardest by a sweeping rainstorm that killed at least 10 people in central Greece this week. Authorities, who have struggled to evacuate people from flooded areas, raised the death toll to 10 people on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, rescue teams were moving into villages near the city of Larissa and close to the River Pineios. Extreme weather events have struck across the globe in recent weeks, with floods in Scandinavia, southeast Europe and Hong Kong. Reporting by Stamos Prousalis, Renee Maltezou, Lefteris Papadimas and Michele Kambas Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Alexandros Avramidis, Stamos Prousalis, Renee Maltezou, Lefteris Papadimas, Michele Kambas, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, pummelled, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Greece, Palamas, pummelled Greece, Larissa, Thessaly, Karditsa, Athens, Thessaloniki, Scandinavia, Europe, Hong Kong, India

☆ Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu Prince Who Roiled South African Politics, Dead at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

(Reuters) -Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, has died, the presidency said on Saturday. Critics dubbed Buthelezi a war lord but to his legion of followers in the rural Zulu heartland, he was a visionary. A Zulu chief, Buthelezi became KwaZulu's chief minister in the 1970s, where he tried a delicate balancing act: refusing outright independence and criticising Pretoria's racial policies while still playing a role in the homeland farce. Ashpenaz Nathan Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi was born on Aug. 27, 1928, in Mahlabathini, the son and heir of Chief Matoli Buthelezi and Princess Constance Magago Dinuzulu. In 1953 he was installed as acting chief of the prominent Buthelezi clan and four years later was confirmed as chief.

Persons: Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Prince, KwaPhindangene, Cyril Ramaphosa, Buthelezi, Nelson Mandela, Critics, Inkatha, Thabo Mbeki, King Cetshwayo, Henry Kissinger, Peter Carrington, Ashpenaz Nathan Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, Matoli Buthelezi, Princess Constance Magago Dinuzulu, Irene Mzila, Bhargav Acharya, Nelson BanyaEditing, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Reuters, South, Freedom Party, Home Affairs, African National Congress, Zulu Monarch, IFP, ANC, British, Black University of Fort, ANC Youth League, U.S Locations: KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa, Zulu, Johannesburg, Black University of Fort Hare, Lesotho, Mahlabathini

☆ Morocco's ancient city of Marrakech assesses quake damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Ahmed Eljechtimi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A general view of damage in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9, 2023. The extent of damage to Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was not yet clear on Saturday morning though most of the main historic sites in the old city appeared largely unscathed. Standing in front of a pile of rubble elsewhere in the old city, with elegant archways rising up behind it, Marrakech resident Miloud Skrout said the damage had blocked alleyways making it hard to help trapped residents. Some houses also fell in the tightly packed old city, though residents told Reuters that these appeared to be mostly uninhabited. "We are glad to see foreign tourists join to give blood following this painful event," he added.

Persons: Abdelhak, Karim El Baridi, Baridi, Miloud Skrout, Winston Churchill, Mahmoud Abghach, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Angus McDowall, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UNESCO, Reuters, World Bank, IMF, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH

☆ Algeria to allow Morocco flights after quake despite bad ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a damaged building on the road between Amizmiz and Ouirgane, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed El Jechtimi Acquire Licensing RightsALGIERS, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Morocco's deadly earthquake prompted Algeria, which cut ties with its neighbour two years ago, to put aside the countries' bad relations and open its air space to aid flights. The border between Algeria and Morocco, the most powerful countries in the region, has been closed since 1994 and Algiers closed its air space to Morocco and suspended diplomatic relations in 2021, accusing Rabat of "hostile acts". During deadly wildfires in Algeria during each of the past three summers, Morocco has made offers of aid that Algiers has publicly ignored. Many Algerians voiced solidarity with Morocco on social media, some saying they hoped the bad political ties would not get in the way of helping their neighbour.

Persons: Ahmed El Jechtimi, Abdelkader Bengrina, Al Bina, Lamine Chikhi, Tarek Amara, Angus McDowall, Mark Heinrich, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rabat, Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: Amizmiz, Morocco, ALGIERS, Algeria, Algiers, Western Sahara, North Africa, Europe

☆ Foreign reactions and offers of aid in response to Morocco earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/6] A general view of damage in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9. ****OFFERS OF FOREIGN AID AND SUPPORTALGERIAAlgeria, which broke off ties with Morocco two years ago, said it would open its air space for humanitarian and medical flights to Morocco. TURKEYThe Turkish Foreign Ministry said Ankara was ready to provide all kinds of support "to heal the wounds of the earthquake in Morocco". Valerie Pecresse, president of the Paris region, said on X it was offering 500,000 euros ($535,000)in aid for Morocco. -------------**** ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN NATIONALSFRANCEThe French Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Morocco and the ministry in Paris have opened crisis centres "to respond to demands for information or help from our compatriots."

Persons: Abdelhak, Algeria's, Olaf Scholz, Antony Blinken, Valerie Pecresse, Benoit Payan, Jose Manuel Albares, Antonio Nogales, Eli Cohen, “, Israel's Magen David Adom, Magen David Adom, Kais Saied, Nawaf Al, Ahmad Al, Jaber, Marcel Ciolacu, NARENDRA MODI, VLADIMIR PUTIN, MOHAMMED VI, KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, ANNALENA, EMMANUEL MACRON, FELIPE, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Turkish Foreign Ministry, UNITED STATES Secretary, French Foreign Ministry, Morocco, Cote d'Azur, Orange, Spain's, Moroccan, ISRAEL, Crescent, Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, INDIAN, IMF, Bank, MINISTRY, Facebook, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, ALGERIA Algeria, Moroccan, TURKEY, Ankara, AFAD, Turkish, Turkey, GERMANY, New Delhi, Germany, United States, FRANCE, France, Paris, Marseille, Marseille's, Occitanie, Corsica, Provence, Alpes, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, SPAIN, TUNISIA, Tunisian, KUWAIT, Jaber Al, Sabah, ROMANIA, TAIWAN, Algeria, Kingdom of Morocco, EMIRATES, German, Rabat

☆ Reactions from foreign governments to earthquake in Morocco
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 9 (Reuters) - Following are reactions from foreign governments to the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco's High Atlas mountains late on Friday, killing hundreds and destroying buildings in the deadliest tremor to hit the country in decades. INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI, INAUGURATING A G20 SUMMIT IN NEW DELHI"We pray that all the injured people get well soon. The entire world community is with Morocco in this difficult time and we are ready to provide them all possible assistance." SPAIN'S ACTING PRIME MINISTER PEDRO SANCHEZ"All my solidarity with the people of Morocco in the face of the terrible earthquake ... Spain stands with the victims of this tragedy and their families." FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER CATHERINE COLONNA"Solidarity with Morocco and our friends, the Moroccan people after the night's terrible quake.

Persons: NARENDRA MODI, PEDRO SANCHEZ, CATHERINE COLONNA, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry Organizations: Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Morocco, Spain, Moroccan

☆ Syrians Tear Down Poster of Assad in Sweida as Protests Swell
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Demonstrators in the southern Syrian city of Sweida tore down a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad on Friday as anti-government protests that began three weeks ago swelled with crowds coming in from surrounding villages. Sweida is capital of a province of the same name that is home to most of Syria's minority Druze sect. The city remained in government hands throughout the civil war and was largely spared the violence seen elsewhere. In Sweida city, hundreds gathered in Karama Square on Friday as the protests, carrying the multi-coloured Druze flag. Residents of other government-held parts of Syria - where restrictions are tighter - have made more discrete gestures of protest to avoid detection by government forces.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Hey Bashar, Bashar's, Hafez al, Maya Gebeily, Frances Kerry Organizations: Farmers ' Union Locations: BEIRUT, Syrian, Sweida, Syria

[1/2] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures during a meeting with Chile's Ambassador to Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, at Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela August 16, 2023. Energy trade, debt repayment and new financing likely are the main focus of the Sept. 8-14 visit, officials and sources said. Beijing's decision to host Maduro coincides with a G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, which Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend. In 2020, the Maduro administration and Chinese banks again agreed to a grace period on some $19 billion of Chinese debt, according to Reuters reporting. Despite sanctions on Venezuela, China imported around 390,000 barrels per day of crude from the country between January and August this year, totalling roughly 12.9 million metric tons, data from commodities consultancy Vortexa showed.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Han Zheng, Wang Yi, hegemonism, Han, Pedro Tellechea, Tellechea, Xi Jinping, Maduro, Hugo Chavez's, Joe Biden's, PDVSA, CNPC, Donald Trump, Andrew Hayley, Liz Lee, Joe Cash, Vivian Seuqera, Mayela, Marianna Parraga, Christopher Cushing, Frances Kerry, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West, Energy, China National Petroleum Corp, Venezuelan, Venezuelan Oil, Shanghai International Energy Exchange, Shanghai Petroleum, Natural Gas Exchange, South, Shanghai, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Miraflores, Caracas, Rights BEIJING, CARACAS, China, OPEC, Beijing, Shanghai, Asia, New Delhi, Malaysia, South American, Houston

☆ Stock market drives U.S. households to record wealth
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/Illustration/ Acquire Licensing RightsSept 8 (Reuters) - A surging stock market powered U.S. household wealth to a record high of more than $154 trillion in the second quarter, aided by a rebound in property values, Federal Reserve data out on Friday showed. The Standard & Poor's 500 total return index (.SPXTR), including reinvested dividends, delivered an 8.7% return in the second quarter, its largest gain since the final three months of 2021. Household wealth at the end of June exceeded the previous record high of $152.49 trillion set in the first quarter of 2022 by about $1.8 trillion, or 1.2%. Debt levels for households, businesses and governments kept rising in the second quarter, though the pace of increase varied widely by sector. Business debt growth, meanwhile, moderated substantially, climbing at just a 1.9% annualized rate in the second quarter, its slowest growth since the final three months of 2020.

Persons: Mike Segar, Biden, Dan Burns, Chizu Nomiyama, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Federal, Fed, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Bank, U.S

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 with an epicentre some 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech. "When I felt the earth shaking beneath my feet and the house leaning, I rushed to get my kids out. [1/14]Residents rest in central Marrakesh following a powerful earthquake in Morocco, September 9, 2023. It was Morocco's deadliest earthquake since 1960 when a quake was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Marrakech is due to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank from Oct. 9.

Persons: Mohamed Azaw, Mohamed Ouhammo, Montasir, Abdellatif Ait, Saida Bodchich, Hannah McKay, Waaziz Hassan, Mohammad Kashani, Zakia Abdennebi, Tarek Amara, Alexander Cornwell, Ahmed Tolba, Jose Joseph, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Adam Makary, Michelle Nichols, Graham Keeley, Josephine Mason, Angus McDowall, Tom Perry, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry, Alexander Smith, Peter Graff, Daniel Wallis Organizations: WHO, Moroccan, Interior Ministry, Geological Survey, Food, High, REUTERS, World Health Organization, UNESCO, . Geological Survey, University of Southampton, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Morocco, U.S, Amizmiz, Asni, Tansghart, Abdellatif Ait Bella, Marrakesh, Huelva, Jaen, Spain, Jemaa, Moroccan, Turkey, Algeria, Tunis, Imsouane, Dubai, Bengaluru, Cairo, New York, Madrid, London

☆ Brent falls below $90/bbl, pausing rally, on weaker demand outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent crude futures settled 68 cents, or 0.8%, lower at $89.92 a barrel, after trading between $89.46 and $90.89. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures finished down 67 cents, or 0.8%, at $86.67 a barrel, after trading between $86.39 and $87.74. Thursday's fall came after nine straight sessions of gains in WTI and seven straight gains in Brent. But crude imports surged 30.9%. "The wind has been taken out of the bulls' sail overnight by rising Chinese product exports last month, albeit crude oil imports rose," PVM Oil analyst Tamas Varga said.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Thursday's, Prices, Dennis Kissler, John Kilduff, Tamas Varga, Leon Li, Erwin Seba, Arathy Somasekhar, Ahmad Ghaddar, Trixie Yap, Marguerita Choy, Frances Kerry, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, HOUSTON, Brent, . West Texas, U.S, BOK, Again, Markets, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Iran, Venezuela, WTI, Brent, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Saudi, U.S, Shanghai, Houston, London, Singapore

☆ Oil slips on weak China outlook despite US stock drawdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oil pump jacks are seen at the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. Prices had spiked earlier in the week after Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's top two oil exporters, extended voluntary supply cuts to the year-end. These were on top of the April cuts agreed by several OPEC+ producers running to the end of 2024. But crude imports surged 30.9%. "The wind has been taken out of the bulls' sail overnight by rising Chinese product exports last month albeit crude oil imports rose," PVM Oil analyst Tamas Varga said.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, we've, Jim Ritterbusch, Tamas Varga, Leon Li, Ahmad Ghaddar, Trixie Yap, Marguerita Choy, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Energy, Ritterbusch, Markets, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Iran, Venezuela, HOUSTON, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Saudi, Shanghai, London, Singapore

☆ Mexican core inflation slows more than expected to 20-month low
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Natalia Siniawski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That drop was off the back of lower core goods inflation, Capital Economics analyst Jason Tuvey said, while services inflation - which central bank board members have described as "sticky" - remained above 5% year over year. Annual core inflation in the second half of the month was "good news," said central bank board member Jonathan Heath on social media network X. Headline inflation edged downward to 4.64% in the month, in line with market expectations and its lowest since March 2021. That was driven by softer core price pressures, Capital's Tuvey said, but with inflation in the services sector still proving stubborn, the central bank is still unlikely to kick off an interest-rate easing cycle soon. The closely watched core price index rose 0.27% during the month (MXCPIX=ECI).

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Jason Tuvey, Jonathan Heath, Capital's Tuvey, Andres Abadia, Natalia Siniawski, Kylie Madry, Frances Kerry, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Capital, Reuters, of, Macroeconomics, America, Thomson Locations: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, of Mexico

☆ Global regulators seek to crack down on decentralised finance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Global securities regulators set out on Thursday their first blueprint to make participants in "decentralised finance" (DeFi)accountable for their actions and safeguard market stability. Such events have seen DeFi shrink from about $180 billion in late 2021 to about $40 billion currently, and the sector is also being used for moneylaundering, IOSCO said. Stakeholders in DeFi and their roles, and the organizational, technological, and communication mechanisms they use, tend to mimic those in traditional finance. Regulators have little standardised data on DeFI, a situation made worse by market participants using multiple pseudonymous addresses to obfuscate their activities, IOSCO said. Regulators should use existing laws or introduce new ones where needed to get a full picture of DeFI, including the identities of people and companies involved, IOSCO said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, IOSCO, Tuang Lee Lim, Lim, Huw Jones, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Terra, Regulators, DeFi, Thomson Locations: DeFi, IOSCO, United States

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